The Dark Lord's Bride
by ButterflyWithinDarkness
Summary: When word gets out that the Dark Lord plans to wed, no one knows who the mystery bride is...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Anything related to the wonderful books of Harry Potter belong to the fabulous JK. Rowling.

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**Prologue.**

"Do you know who she is Dumbledore?" asked a blank-faced, Kingsley Shacklebolt, leaning with both arms on the table, his outstretched fingers gripping the wood.

"Or HE," the Weasley twins, Fred and George or as they liked to call themselves Gred and Feorge chimed in with identical amused smirks on their faces, high fiving each other. The youngest Weasley snorted at his brothers' jibe at the dark wizard while grabbing a chicken drumstick from the food platter in front of him.

"BOYS!" Molly Weasley scolded, glaring at her sons' bad table manners as she watched them eat with their hands and not their knife and fork.

"What?" Fred said, "it's possible," George added, finishing his brother's sentence.

Dumbledore looked over his half-moon spectacles at the head of the table in the basement kitchen of number 12 Grimmauld Place.

"No. Unfortunately I for once have no clue, my mind draws a blank." All eyes turned to Harry Potter who sat, sandwiched between his two best friends, the messy haired, bespectacled boy blushed slightly at being put on the spot as all eyes zeroed in on him due to his unfortunate connection with the man in question.

"Harry m'boy, have you seen anything lately?" Dumbledore asked, ignoring the scowl from his Potions Professor. Severus Snape hissed and spoke in a clearly unamused cold voice.

"What is the point of me giving up my, MY PRECIOUS spare time to teach the brat Occlumency if you're going to ask the twit questions like that?"

"Enough, Severus." Dumbledore's eyes flashed in warning at the dark, foreboding wizard every student knew not to cross.

The professor in question glared darkly at the old man who had been the bane of his existence for many years. Instead of going to that dark pool of thoughts, he kept his eye on one of the golden trio in particular. The one whose life hangs in the balance if anything is to happen to said member of the golden bloody trio and he took this job, more seriously than any other job's he's taken up reluctantly or willingly...

Severus suddenly felt his chair tipping backwards...not by his doing of course and grabbed hold of the table instinctively. Everyone else around him was too wrapped up in the Dark Lord's mysterious bride to notice this oddity. Cursing himself for acting like a Muggle and grabbing the table top, he suddenly felt as if he'd been punched in the stomach and his chair went flying backwards with a loud crash, making everyone in the vicinity jump.

Hermione Granger smirked behind the book, she was supposedly reading and slammed it shut. She'd grown tired of their talks of this mysterious bride, and annoyed of her Potion professor's glances in her direction. She had no idea why of course. Rising up from her seat she tucked her book under her arm and turned to look at those around her, all of them too shocked by the sudden bang to speak.

"Did it not ever occur to any of you that this could be a..." she paused, "positive thing? After all, Professor Dumbledore, aren't you always saying love is the answer to everything?" she asked meeting his calculating blue gaze.

"Very wise words, Miss Granger." Dumbledore's attention had turned to his brightest student and then looked at everyone else in the room. Severus had been helped back up by Arthur Weasley and a reluctant Minerva McGonagall, who he was sure would have highly praised whoever set this prank upon the dark wizard next to her.

"But Tom cannot love, he knows not how. This must be a personal gain, whoever this woman is must have something he wants, plus he is a very selfish man and thinks only for himself. But we must save this woman whomever she is once we gain more information." Dumbledore looked directly at Severus whose lips had tightened into a hard line as he glared at the headmaster.

"Well, if I may be excused, I would like to finish reading next year's Charms book. I for one have no interest in Lord Voldemort-" Flinches and glass dropping and hissing could be heard around the table upon hearing he who must not be named, name out loud.

"Love life." She finished, ignoring the reaction. "In my opinion, if we interfere we could be making the war even worse than it already is."

Ron Weasley snorted in disbelief. Completely ignoring everything she said apart from one thing.

"You already have next years books?" Harry Potter looked up at his curly haired friend amusedly but he had to agree with what she said, regarding Voldemort's mysterious lover.

"Only you Hermione, only you would think to ask for next years book listings," Ron Weasley said in a voice of disgust.

Hermione shot him a glare that would have turned him to ashes.

"At least I take my education seriously Ronald... unlike some."

"Well, when we win this war, we won't need an education, because we will be famous for defeating he who must not be named."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Fame won't get you any where Ronald," she said with an edge to her voice that even the Weasley twins picked up on and lost their smirks and the twinkle of amusement in their eyes.

The other members looked upon the trio they had come to rely on for various different reasons with a hint of wariness and amusement.

"Of course it will, it will give us all the money in the world, and people will want to know us, and call me a hero."

The room went a deathly silent. Even Harry Potter didn't respond to Ron's last comment. Harry briefly wondered if this was the only reason Ron befriended him because of whom he was, and because he was his friend, everyone would know who he is.

"You Ronald Bilius Weasel are nothing but an egoistic, selfish airhead, that deserves nothing after what you have just said," Hermione spat, then turned sharply on her heel and marched out of the room.

A jaw dropping Ronald Weasley said once he found his voice, "did she just call me Weasel?"

Molly Weasley had been slowly sizzling with anger upon her son's behaviour, all three of them in fact, and her son's words had her fuming.

"You and I are going to have a word, young man." Molly said, and before Ron knew it he had his ear being pinched and dragged out of the room.

The other members of the order could hear "ow, ow. ow, OW bloody hell woman" as he was dragged up the stairs to the main part of the house.

"Well, I think that has officially ended this meeting." Dumbledore said.

"If that is all Dumbledore. I am needed elsewhere." Severus Snape said.

Dumbledore looked over at his spy.

"Be careful Severus."

"I'm still standing aren't I?" was his sarcastic, irritated reply.

Dumbledore nodded and the Dark Wizard left, still seething from the prank played on him, and he had a feeling he knew who, but could not act upon revenge... hopefully the dark lord would request her presence during term time so he could have the pleasure of tainting her perfect record with detentions.

Meanwhile upstairs in one of the single rooms, Hermione Granger locked her door, aimed her wand at the empty fire place and the room lit up as the fire came to life along with the candles she had dotted around the room, some scented lavender and summer berries.

She made her way to the double bed, re-opened her book and placed her finger tip to the blank page.

Words appeared from her thoughts.

_I need you, the connection is open._

Not long after they vanished, a man appeared through the fire unscathed. A tall-muscular handsome looking man with a smirk on his face; he supported a mop of dark messy hair, the brightest of green eyes, and a prince's nose. He made a beeline for the woman on the bed who had risen as he approached her, and she him.

They looked like long-lost lovers, as they embraced and kissed with hunger and passion as she clung to him, and he held onto her as if their lives depended on it. Her hand tangled in the hair at the base of his neck whilst her other hand held onto his head, holding him to her, unwilling to let him go.

His arm wrapped around her waist whilst his other held her back, his hand holding her to him at the base of her neck, tangled deep in her curly brown locks. Not even the thinnest piece of paper could get between them.

He edged them backwards until the back of her knees hit the bed, and they both fell to the comfort of the bed sheets in a tangle of naked limbs. Her legs hooked themselves around his waist, and as he slid deep inside her, he broke the kiss and leaned his foreheads against hers.

"God's I missed you," she whispered. He kissed her again.

"And I you," He replied against her lips as they set a frantic pace. Thank Merlin for silencing and locking charms, Hermione thought, as her hands traveled down his toned back, and his wandered to her breasts as his lips attacked her neck, hitting all the right spots along her skin.

After their coupling, she lay in his arms once more, cuddled into his side.

As he gazed down at the sleeping beauty in his arms, blanket's covered half up their bodies, he wondered:

How had he gotten to this point? He was a lucky bastard to have this witch in his life, and thank Merlin for luck of fate. Not that he was one to believe in that rubbish until Hermione walked into his life quite randomly and unexpectedly. A year of bliss, indeed.

In a different part of Number 12, Harry Potter had other problems he'd kept to himself and cursed the connection he unwillingly had with Voldemort. In the old bathroom of number 12, he embarrassingly had to rid himself of problems down bellow in a hot shower whilst biting his tongue to stop himself from screaming as he released underneath the tidal waves of cold water from the shower head above.

This only happened when the Dark Wizard was obviously with the woman. He got the odd flash of skin, and female body parts, but never the face.

He had also kept this a secret from the Order, because A) he didn't want to have to explain his problem, but B) He didn't want to know who the woman was in the first place, she probably being the one and only Bellatrix Lestrange (knowing she was his favourite death eater) and he really didn't want his ass burned, in case she saw him through his eyes. His friends had told him a few times, his eyes had flashed red on very rare occasions before he faints. Thankful it was all over now, He cleaned himself up and dried off, hoping nobody was none the wiser.

Back in Hermione's room, Tom moved his arm from around her waist and traced the little snake tattoo just above her hip. He'd placed it there upon the eve of their engagement a month ago. Hers was different to his followers', and he placed it in an area where none would be able to see it but him.

He would brand her with the same mark as his followers once they where married, if she wished it. But for now, she wore his mark, the little snake, wrapped around his crest. Leaning down, he kissed the ring that rested just above her breasts on a gold chain, then placed a kiss over her heart as he chose to use her chest as a pillow for the night and played with the ring whilst he slowly drifted off to sleep listening to her heart beat.

Content with the fact she is safe within his arms once more. Soon, she'd be with him on a more permanent basis, soon she will be his queen, his wife, the mother of his babies. It's funny how something unexpected can change your view on certain topics of life journeys.

Oh he still wanted to rule the Wizarding world, and most importantly, Hogwarts, re-change it back to the way it should be, but his woman and future family came first, his beliefs, and enemies second. His horcruxes, third. No, she was the most important thing in his life now, his precious treasure. His greatest find and if anyone dared laid a finger on her pretty head that wasn't his own hands running through those lush curls... he'd Crucio and Avada the offending limb for touching his.

**...Time skip...**

The next morning Hermione woke to find him lcompletely encasing her in his embrace, and she loved it. Loved the fact, that a man was looking after her, that he felt the need to protect her. Today they'd be returning to Hogwarts, and she wouldn't be able to see him until the next Hogsmeade weekend, which is normally a month after the start of term, nearing Halloween.

Tom stirred not long after her, kissed the ring and then made his way up her chest and neck, licking and nipping in places, his strong arms holding hers in place so she couldn't move apart from her legs which she wrapped around him as his morning wood rested teasingly against her lower lips.

His hold on her arms loosened enough so she could move her arms around his neck, her finger tips dancing around his waist and up his back loving the feel of his muscles rippling underneath her fingertips. As their lips met, her hands tangled in his hair.

"Make love to me," Hermione demanded against his lips.

"With pleasure." And who was he to deny his services in such an intimate and stimulating act? Only Hermione would have that privilege or balls to command him, after all that's how they ended up an unexpected couple almost a year ago.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione and Tom freshened themselves up with magic, between kisses, and on his part possessive touches, which she loved. Once at the re-lit fireplace, Tom pulled her into his arms. He hated good byes when it came to his woman.

If he had his way, she'd be with him at all times but her stubborn nature refused her to quit her studies even though he could easily train her himself. Oh, she'd have no choice if something happened to her, then he'd take her fully under his wing.

"I must warn you to stay away from Dolorus Umbridge this year," he told her whislt tucking a loose strand behind her ear. Staring deeply into her eyes.

"The Ministry witch? Why?" she asked.

"Because she will sadly be your new Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher. I want you to stay away from the boy who won't die, and the Weasel. I have it on good authority that the Ministry has it in for the Order and you three in particular. Severus can't always be there to protect you whilst I can't," he said with annoyance and a dark edge.

"You know I am more than capable of protecting myself." Tom glared at her. He hated that small fact.

"I am well aware of that darling." She noticed the dangerous edge his tone had taken, knowing he hated that little bit of knowledge.

Hermione pursed her lips.

"They are my friends..." she trailed off.

He chuckled darkly, then kissed her, changing his mind with what he was going to say, instead he settled on,"just stay away from them, and keep out of trouble." He closed his eyes and re-opened them, looking deep into her chocolate pools.

He watched as her lips thinned into a hard line and her eyes narrowed.

"Please for once do as I say."

Hermione's jaw dropped, briefly before she snapped it shut, knowing it took him a lot to say the word 'please'.

"I will admit, I do not like this. But fine." He kissed her, this time, more softly with passion.

"Good. Now I must go." Hermione felt her eyes well up with tears, and she felt his thumb brush her cheek.

"I will see you soon."

"I hate goodbyes."

"You could always come with me..." he suggested, knowing it was pointless.

"You know I can't."

"If it upsets you this much... I don't like leaving you like this." His forehead rested against hers.

"Tom..." she warned him. He smirked, knowing he nearly had her.

"I know darling." He leaned in for one last kiss before rising to his full height.

"Keep the book with you. I will pass a message onto Severus for when and where," he told her.

Hermione grabbed hold of the front of his robes and pulled him down for one last kiss, before he vanished into the yellowy orange flames.

She stared at the now empty grate, wiped her tears and took the locking and silencing charms off her room. Pulling herself together she made her way to the door, grabbing the zipped clutch bag, still ignoring the knocking.

"Took your time, 'Mione. Mum's about to send out a search party." Was her greeting from the youngest of the Weasley family, Ginny Weasley smiled. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, I placed a silencing charm and locked my doors."

"Among other wards. Not even Professor Snape could get through."

Hermione's eyebrows rose.

"Really? I was just sleeping."

"Yeah, well you slept in rather late. Mum's packed you stuff for breakfast, and you can have it on the train." Ginny looked at the small clutch bag.

"Shrinking charms, are a life-saver." Hermione answered her friends unspoken question..

"Have you been crying?" Ginny asked Hermione suddenly.

"No what makes you say that?" Hermione asked, cursing at not thinking to check her appearance fully.

"Your eyes are puffy and a little red," Ginny said narrowing her eyes.

"Miss Weasley, Miss Granger," came a dark drawl from the shadows of the corridor making both girls jump.

Professor Snape emerged from his hiding place and approached his student and charge.

"Miss Weasley, leave," he said locking eyes with his Lord's bride-to-be.

"Mione?" The Weaslette said, not backing down.

"It's fine, Ginny. Tell Mrs. Weasley I will be down in a moment."

"No need, I am to personally escort you to Hogwarts myself," Severus said.

"WHAT?" Both girls said at the same time, including "Why?"

Severus inwardly groaned. Not only had his lord visited Granger, but summoned him through the dark mark.

"Weasley..." Severus warned, keeping Granger in an eyelock

"Mione?" The Weaslette ignored him again.

"It's fine, Ginny, go ahead. I will see you guys at Hogwarts."

Severus took in her appearance, and sneered at the Muggle attire, but his lord seemed to like it on her. She wore a pair of dark denim jeans, heeled ankle boots in a black colour with fur on them along with a long black top, that had a cowl neck to it, in a ribbed texture, holding a small bag, he assumed held all her stuff.

As much as he hated to admit it, she did look rather attractive, in the figure hugging attire.

"You sure?" The Weaslette asked Granger again.

"Positive." Hermione replied not breaking Snape's eye-lock.

Neither looked as the redhead left, nor noticed how she would look back over her shoulder at the two having a staring match. Her curiosity had just skyrocketed, and she vowed she'd find out what all that was about.

Once he was sure nobody else was on this floor at least, he was about to speak, but she interrupted him before he could form a single letter.

"What does he want?" She asked him. Severus raised his eyebrows. Perhaps she knew his lord better than he thought.

"He wanted me to escort you personally to the grounds of Hogwarts... more specifically away from your friends." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Over protective git," Severus thought his eyebrows couldn't get any higher, infact. This is the most they've ever been rissen. Is it Snape or Hermione thinking or saying this?

"I'd watch your tone when speaking of The Dark Lord, Miss Granger," he warned her, an edge to his voice. Hermione smirked at him.

"Tom is well aware of my thoughts on this topic, Professor Snape." Severus felt his eyebrows raise once more. He only ever heard one other person who dared to call Lord Voldemort by his first name, and that one person was the person The Dark Lord loathed the most, possibly more than saint Potter. So this girl must really mean something to Voldemort, if he allowed her to call him that.

"Professor, can we just go? If this is his wish? Wouldn't he rather we leave promptly?" Severus nodded, being brought back to reality.

"What is the story we tell the other Professors and Dumbledore?" She asked Snape as they made their way down the long corridor.

"I hadn't thought that far ahead, Miss Granger. I am assuming he summoned me after he got back from being with you..." He trailed off feeling uncomfortable with the dangerous turn his wording had taken.

Hermione noticed his discomfort and smirked, but chose to keep her mouth shut.

"How many people within his circle know of us?" She asked, she'd questioned Tom, but he'd remained quiet, and she'd never been to any of his homes, or met any of his followers, apart from the ones she knew of, but they didn't know of her and him.

"I think that is a topic you are to discuss with him, Miss Granger, if you are as close to him as I am guessing you are."

Hermione's eyebrows rose. She felt Snape stiffen, and glanced at her professor as he clutched his arm, she also felt her own mark burn, but she didn't feel pain, she felt warmth.

"I do believe we are being summoned." Snape said, through tightly-gritted teeth.

Hermione kept her mouth shut regarding her mark, but once they'd reached the top of the stairs, they noticed a sea of redheads waiting for them. Severus groaned, thanking his lucky cauldrons that he'd removed his hand from his arm before coming into view of the Weasley matriarch. The odd duo made their way down the stairs, being scrutinized, whilst the youngest Weasley, Ginny stood hands on hips, rolling her eyes, foot tapping, impatiently.

"Mum. I told you Professor Snape is taking Hermione to Hogwarts. We're going to miss the train!"

"Yes well... I don't know why I wasn't informed," she said. Kingsley and Remus nodded their heads in unison.

"Professor Snape agreed to take me last minute, last night, . I wanted to talk to him about extra potions this year."

Ron Weasley's jaw dropped.

"You can't be serious?" Hermione shot him a glare.

"OW!" He yelled after Molly wacked her youngest son around the head with her handbag

Hermione felt her mark heat up even more, and she placed her hand on her hip. _Thank you Ron_. She thought, giving her an excuse to sort of touch the mark even if it was over layers of clothing. She closed her eyes briefly, feeling a little connection to Tom.

"At least I take my studies seriously, Ronald Weasley, unlike you who's only interested in fame and money." She sneered darkly at him.

Everybody went silent again, and Harry Potter had a feeling that Ron had shot himself in the foot regarding his friendship with Hermione, and he would end up between the two again. He was already not looking forward to this year as he had problems of his own to deal with including extra lessons with Snape he dreaded.

Hermione turned to her Professor.

"Can we just go, Professor?"

"With pleasure," Severus responded, giving the youngest Weasley a cold stare. He was going to be trouble, and he knew it. He locked eyes with Kingsley and Remus before barging through the crowd, the Granger girl following him closely.

Once they stood outside of number 12, Severus grabbed hold of the girl and Apparated to the Dark Lord.

"Thanks for the warning,"' was the angry response he got from Granger as she stumbled only to be caught by Voldemort himself who stared darkly at him through those ruby red eyes.

"If she is hurt," he hissed. Snape really couldn't see the attraction between the two, and he cringed even more when the snake came slithering in and Granger bent down cooing and petting the huge snake.

(A/N: My Voldemort has two facades. One he uses for his followers, and his true self, Tom, for Hermione.)

"I'm fine my Lord," Hermione replied after straightening up.

"Some warning would have been nice." Hermione glared at her Professor whilst she melted into Lord Voldemort's hold around her waist.

Tom felt furious for the way Severus, one of his loyal and most trusted followers, had treated his bride. Perhaps he should make his relationship public among his followers, including his double life, with his inner circle at least.

"Leave us. I will summon you, when I have been made aware the train has neared Hogsmeade." He will punish the man later for his treatment of Hermione. There where more important things he wanted to discuss with her which he hadn't yesterday evening or this morning.

Severus bowed, glancing at the odd couple and the out of character display of affection his lord was showing for a human being. In all honesty... he couldn't wait to leave and Apparated out of Riddle manor.

As soon as Severus was gone, Tom removed the mask of Voldemort and led Hermione to his desk.

"Where are we?" She asked him. He liked the fact she didn't question his motives as to why he had summoned them, but rather that she was more curious as to where they were.

"We are at my ancestral home, the house of Riddle. The place we will reside in when we are married."

Tom gave her his seat. Chosing to lean against the desk so he could see each of her reactions to what he was about to propose. He saw the look of surprise on her face upon his answer.

"And this is my - our office." He told her.

"Why now?" She asked him, curiosity burning inside her. Tom smirked and placed his hand on her chest just bellow her neck, as he moved his hand down, loving the feel of her heart beat quickening underneath his touch, he pulled the ring out from it's hiding place between her breasts and tugged on it indicating he wanted her to rise up with it and pulled her into his arms.

"Because I have decided after this morning that I want us to marry sooner rather than later, and I've decided to share my doubles with my inner circle, and I want them to be aware of you so they don't harm you."

"Tom..."

He rolled his eyes, at the warning in her tone.

"I am more than capable of training you myself with your studies." He looked at her hard, and spoke in a serious tone.

"I want you close by me. I do not trust Umbridge, and I do not like you surrounded by filth and the minions Dumbledore has poisoned with his rubbish for the greater good speeches." He paused, watching her reactions closely. He could tell she was torn.

Hermione knew it took him a lot to bring her here and felt surprised that he would show his inner circle the two sides of him now… after all this time. Oh she wanted him, she wanted to be with him more than anything, but her education was important to her also and even though he offered to train her himself which meant more time with him, she still liked the idea of finishing her studies at Hogwarts too.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss, loosing herself in the feeling of complete bliss just by one simple kiss. She felt his arms grip her more tightly around her waist.

They only broke apart when they needed to breath.

"I'll accept, but I have one condition." Tom waited not saying anything.

"Let me go back to Hogwarts until my nineteenth birthday."

Tom knew she was older than her fellow students due to her usage and meddling with the time turner. He frowned.

"No..." He already had a plan set up for the explanation of her absence.

"Tom, please..." She almost begged him."Wouldn't it look suspicious if I just didn't show up at Hogwarts?" Tom smirked.

"I already had a plan darling."

Hermione glared at him.

"I'm listening."

"Well..."


	3. Please Read

Atlantean Diva

Hear's your serious explanation...

This is **not** your story, so get over it. This is **fan-fiction**, not the Harry Potter books.

Any body else got a problem?

Sorry for my rather angry note. But just thought I'd point this out!


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